This invention relates to the art of passenger seating for vehicles. In particular, the invention relates to an armrest for use on the aisle side of a mass-transit seat and which pivots downward to allow passengers to enter or leave the seat.
Seats used in mass transit vehicles commonly have armrests. When an armrest is located other than adjacent a wall of the vehicle, such as an armrest adjacent an aisle, it must be movable between a use position, where it can be used as an armrest, and a non-use position, in which it allows passengers to enter and exit the seats without obstruction by the armrest.
It is known for aisle armrests to pivot from the use position either upwardly or downwardly. In the typical installation, the armrest is attached pivotally to an upright part of the seat back for upward pivotal movement to the storage position.
In accordance with the invention, an armrest is pivotally mounted to a seat frame such that it pivots downwardly from the use position to a non-use position to facilitate passengers"" entering and leaving the seat. The armrest includes a finger-operated mechanism for a cable that controls one or more known seat mechanisms, for example, a mechanism that controls the orientation of the seat back between upright and reclining positions. The armrest also includes a lock for retaining the armrest in the use position and for allowing it to pivot to the non-use position when released.
In the preferred embodiment, the armrest is mounted for rotation on a hub that is secured to the seat frame. The dimensions of the hub are such that it also accommodates the control cable, which passes through the interior of the armrest, and directs the cable from the interior of the armrest to the seat control mechanism. The hub is preferably cylindrical, and the armrest rides on the outer surface.